r 


Btomance  of  + 


j^wedenborg's  Ixi 


Cron^efm 


UC-NRLF 


*t< 


THE    ROMANCE 

OF 

SWEDENBORG'S   LIFE 


BY 
ANNA  CRONHJELM  WALLBERG 


<San  jFrannsco 

C.  A.  MURDOCK  &  Co. 

1890 


COPYRIGHT,  1890,  BY 
ANNA   CRONJHELM    WALLBEKG. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE. 


CHAPTER   I. 

DMANUEL    MEETS    THE    POLHEIM    FAMILY. 


"  /\  l\  ^^  are  y°u  ready  ?  "  called  an  eager  voice 
A  V  1  up  the  stairs  of  the  large  palace-like  build- 
ing at  Stjernsund,  belonging  to  the  great  Swedish 
inventor,  the  Councellor  of  Commerce,  Christo- 
pher Polheim. 

It  was  his  youngest  daughter,  Emerentia,  who, 
leaning  against  the  balustrade,  looked  up.  She 
did  not  notice  a  young  man,  elegantly  dressed  in 
black  velvet,  who  entered  the  hall  from  an  adjoin- 
ing room.  He  wore  a  black  wig,  which,  however, 
did  not  suit  his  clear  complexion  and  soft  brown 
eyes  as  well  as  his  natural  auburn  hair  would 
have  done. 

His  eyes  fastened  on  the  slender  young  figure 
in  the  white  dress,  standing  with  the  head  bent  to 
one  side  to  catch  the  expected  reply  from  above. 

u  Mother  wants  you  to  hurry  up/'  she  continued, 
•"  Mr.  Svedberg  will  be  here  before  we  know  it." 


10*         •   "•          *  JjrtHfe  ROMANCE  OF 

I   /    *"fc- 

ak'1  'Vw Jtie'  hall,  but  come  up  and  help 

me,"  said  the  voice  up-stairs. 

Emerentia  turned  to  run  up  the  stairs,  when 
she  saw  the  young  man  gazing  at  her.  With  a 
little  outcry  and  a  graceful  motion  she  gathered 
her  white  skirt  and  flew  up  the  stairs.  He  was 
looking  after  the  fair  vision  when  a  door  was 
opened,  and  Mr.  Polheim  came  to  welcome  his 
guest. 

"  Mr.  Svedberg,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you.  I  was 
just  told  that  you  had  arrived.  Very  unceremoi- 
nious  of  us.  I  hope  you  will  pardon  me,  but  I 
was  so  busy  writing,  and  it  slipped  my  attention." 

The  man  who  spoke  was  smaller  than  Emanuel 
Svedberg.  He  was  about  fifty-four  years  of  age, 
and  his  small,  piercing  eyes  beamed  with  genius 
and  good-will.  Instead  of  the  conventional  wig, 
he  wore  a  velvet  cap  over  his  long  hair. 

"  Come  in  and  let  me  introduce  you  to  my  fam- 
ily. My  wife  and  my  children  have  heard  so 
many  good  reports  of  you.  I  hope  you  will  feel 
at  home  among  us,  and  will  stay  for  a  time." 

Emanuel  expressed  his  gratitude,  and  the  two 
men  entered  a  large  parlor,  beautifully  furnished 
after  the  taste  of  the  time.  The  straight  sofas  and 
chairs  were  covered  with  heavy  silk.  Before  the 


SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE.  11 

windows  hung  lined  silk  draperies,  caught  up  with 
heavy  silk  cords.  Gobelin  tapestries  hung  on  the 
walls,  and  some  portraits.  The  carpet  was  woven 
in  a  large  pattern. 

"  I  hope  you  had  a  pleasant  journey,  Mr.  Sved- 
berg  ?  " 

"  Yes,  thank  you;  I  rode  on  horseback  all  the 
way  rather  than  have  to  pay  the  high  rates  of  the 
post  chaise,  as  one  has  to  do  now,  since  the  last 
royal  decree  came  out." 

"  Yes,  the  king  exacts  much  of  his  country. 
He  presses  it  too  hard.  One  might  think,  that 
after  all  his  misfortunes,  he  would  have  more 
generous  feelings  towards  his  subjects.  With  all 
respect  for  his  majesty,  I  call  him  the  most  fool- 
hardy person  I  ever  heard  of.  Here  he  left  his 
country  with  a  glorious  name  and  army,  and  came 
home  penniless  and  alone.  And  still  he  requires 
new  armies  and  is  ready  for  new  exploits." 

"Yes,  I  cannot  understand,"  said  Emanuel, 
"  how  King  Karl  can  make  his  people  bear  all  these 
heavy  burdens.  There  must  be  some  personal 
fascination  about  him." 

"  Have  you  been  presented  to  the  king  since 
you  came  from  abroad,  Mr.  Svedberg?  " 

"  Not  yet,  Mr.  Councellor,  but  I  hope  and  wish 


12  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

to  be,  for  I  want  to  serve  my  country  with  what 
little  knowledge  I  have  gained." 

A  servant  announced  that  supper  was  served. 

"  I  want  you  to  meet  my  wife,"  said  Mr.  Pol- 
heim, leading  Emanuel  to  an  adjoining  room, 
where  Mrs.  Polheim,  a  tall,  slender,  sweet-faced 
woman,  dressed  in  black  brocade,  was  sitting  with 
her  two  daughters,  all  busy  with  fine  needlework. 

Emanuel  kissed  Mrs.  Polheim's  hand  and 
bowed  before  the  young  ladies,  who  in  their  turn 
made  deep  courtesies. 

"  This  is  Maja,  and  this  little  one  is  our  Mrensa, 
as  we  call  her  for  short,"  said  the  father,  caressing 
his  daughter's  curly  hair. 

Mr.  Svedberg  offered  his  arm  to  Mrs.  Polheim, 
and  the  family  gathered  around  a  sumptuous 
supper-table. 

When  the  meal  was  finished,  Emerentia  was 
told  to  retire,  while  the  rest  of  the  company  went 
to  the  sitting-room,  where  the  conversation  dwelt 
upon  the  working  of  the  new  tin  and  iron  mines 
and  works  at  Stjernsund,  which  had  been  devel- 
oped and  established  by  means  of  Mr.  Polheim. 

When  ten  o'clock,  the  hour  of  retiring,  struck, 
Emanuel  went  to  the  pleasant  guest-room  he  was 
to  occupy. 


8WEDENBOR&8  LIFE.  13 

It  was  moonlight  without,  and  he  stood  gazing 
at  the  garden,  that  was  laid  out  in  stiff  rows  of 
hedges  and  with  trees  cut  in  peculiar  shapes.  This 
was  in  the  summer  of  1716. 

He  looked  up  at  the  sky.  "  How  I  love  to  be 
back  in  my  native  land.  The  English  sky  was 
never  so  beautiful  as  this  sky.  A  happiness  steals 
over  me  in  this  pleasant  home,  such  as  I  have 
never  felt.  Oh,  that  lovely  girl.  How  roguish 
she  looked,  as  she  ran  up  those  stairs.  She  can- 
not be  more  than  twelve.  Maja!  What  a  prosaic 
name!  Maja!  Maja! "  he  repeated  to  himself. 
"  She  has  some  of  her  father's  preciseness.  How 
carefully  she  worked  every  thread  in  her  fancy- 
work.  Were  she  a  man,  I  think  she  would  be 
endowed  with  her  father's  inventive  genius.  How 
well  she  could  speak  about  the  mines.  I  hope 
Mr.  Polheim  will  take  a  kind  interest  in  my 
projects." 

He  stood  long  absorbed  in  thought,  when  the 
sound  of  a  song  startled  him.  It  was  a  duet  of 
sweet  young  voices,  singing  softly  an  evening 
hymn,  which  he  recognized  as  one  that  his  own 
father,  the  bishop,  had  written  for  a  new  Lutheran 
hymn-book,  which  had  been  proposed  by  the 
king,  but  was  never  accepted,  because  of  the 


14  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

objections  of  the  envious  Swedish  clergy.  This 
hymn,  though  unpublished,  found  its  way  to  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  The  memories  from  home 
rushed  upon  Emanuel,  and  tears  stole  down  his 
cheeks.  His  heart  swelled,  and  he  sank  on  the 
floor  and  prayed  with  a  fervor  he  had  never 
experienced  before.  As  he  listened  to  the  pure, 
earnest  voices,  his  overflowing  heart  prayed,  too, 
a  blessing  for  the  singers. 

That  night  he  had  a  dream  that  haunted  and 
puzzled  him.  He  saw  two  stags  of  uncommon 
beauty,  with  wreaths  of  flowers  around  their 
necks.  In  his  dream  he  pursued  them  both,  and 
caught  them  by  the  wreaths,  but  when  trying  to 
hold  them  they  both  escaped. 

Emanuel  Svedberg  belonged  to  a  family  sus- 
ceptible to  dreams  and  signs,  and  to  this  suscepti- 
bility he  was  no  exception.  This  dream  he  tried 
in  vain  to  explain  to  himself. 

At  breakfast,  which  was  served  at  six  o'clock, 
all  the  members  of  the  family  appeared  fresh  and 
bright.  Mr.  Polheim  proposed  that  Emerentia 
should  show  Mr.  Svedberg  the  way  to  the  iron- 
works, arid  said  that  he  and  Maja  would  join  them 
a  little  later. 

When   Emanuel    and    his   companion    started 


SWEDENBORG'8  LIFE.  15 

forth,  she  asked:  "Can  you  run?  Let  us  run  a 
race." 

He  was  willing,  but  the  girl  left  him  far  behind, 
and  he  thought  of  the  stag  of  his  dream. 

11  Oh,  Mr.  Svedberg,"  she  said,  laughing,  as  she 
sat  by  the  side  of  the  road,  waiting  for  him,  udid 
the  girls  in  England— ha!  ha!  ha! — did  the  girls 
in  England  ever  run  a  race  with  you?" 

"No,  I  think  I  have  not  run  a  race  since  my 
sister  Anna  was  married." 

."  Sister  Anna!  Are  you  very  fond  of  her?  "  she 
said  earnestly.  "  Tell  me  about  her.  Is  she 
pretty?" 

u  Yes,  she  is  the  image  of  my  mother,  who  is 
dead.  She  is  dearer  to  me  than  anybody  in  the 
world." 

"  Is  your  mother  dead?  " 

"  Yes,  I  was  only  nine  years  old  when  I  lost 
her." 

"And  is  your  sister  very  nice?  " 

"  She  is,  very,"  he  said,  slowly.  He  would  have 
added  that  he  thought  Emerentia  prettier,  but  he 
hesitated  to  whisper  words  that  hid  the  smallest 
flattery  in  the  ears  of  this  pure,  confident  girl . 

"  My  sister  Anna  is  married,  arid  has  a  little 
son,  Eric.  I  have  not  seen  them  since  I  returned 


16  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

from  England.  «s  I  will  help  him  to  make  a  man 
of  himself,  when  he  grows  up." 

Emerentia  was  picking  flowers  by  the  wayside, 
while  she  listened. 

"  Did  your  sister  have  any  pet  horses  when  she 
was  little?" 

"  Yes,  all  the  animals  at  home  were  her  pets." 

"I  will  tell  you  something,"  she  said,  whisper- 
ing, taking  his  hand  confidently,  "if  you  promise 
not  to  tell  the  others.  I  want  to  learn  to  ride 
horseback,  but  father  won't  let  me.  It  is  not  very 
difficult,  is  it?  " 

"  No,"  said  Emanuel,  hesitating,  for  he  was  not 
an  experienced  horseman  himself. 

"  Can  you  ride  bareback?  "  she  asked  eagerly. 

"  You  must  not  try  to  ride  bareback,"  he  said 
in  a  stern  tone,  that  frightened  her  so  that  she 
let  his  hand  go. 

"  I  am  so  fond  of  such  things,  and  I  love  to  play 
in  the  waterstreams  after  a  heavy  rain.  Father 
whipped  me  once  for  doing  that.  I  was  only  six 
then;  and  what  do  you  think  —I  did  the  same 
thing  the  next  day,  and  came  home  soaked 
through." 

"What  happened  then?"  asked  Emanuel, 
amused. 


8WEDENBOR&S  LIFE.  17 

"  I  was  punished  again.  I  did  not  really  think 
that  I  had  done  anything  wrong.  Would  you 
please  pick  that  flower  for  me.  It  is  so  high  up 
I  cannot  reach  it.'7  She  pointed  to  a  high  bank 
where  a  rare  flower  stood  nodding  alone.  With  a 
few  long,  muscular  steps  he  reached  the  place  and 
picked  the  flower. 

He  looked  handsome  as  he  stood  there,  flushed 
from  the  exertion. 

"  If  I  give  you  this  flower,"  he  said,  "  you  must 
promise  me  one  thing." 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  anything  and  everything. 
What  in  particular  do  you  want?" 

"  I  want  you  to  promise  me,  that  whatever  hap- 
pens, you  will  never  wound  my  feelings,"  he  said, 
trembling  with  an  emotion  he  could  not  control 
or  account  for. 

"  Never  to  wound  your  feelings?  "  she  repeated. 
"  Have  I  ever  done  so?  " 

"  No,  Emerentia,"  he  said,  jumping  down,  and 
giving  her  the  flower;  "  but  promise  that  you 
never  will,"  he  said,  looking  earnestly  and  ten- 
derly into  her  eyes. 

"  Not  if  I  can  help  it,"  she  said,  laughingly, 
putting  the  flower  in  her  dress. 

They  had  reached  the  mines,  where  Mr.  Polheim 


18  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

and  Maja,  having  come  on  horseback,  awaited 
them.  Mr.  Polheim  was  highly  pleased  with  the 
interest  and  knowledge  Emanuel  displayed  when 
shown  the  works,  and  here  began,  in  spite  of  the 
difference  in  their  ages,  a  friendship  between  these 
two  men  that  never  was  broken. 

During  the  three  months  that  Emanuel  stayed 
with  the  Polheim  family  he  became  very  dear  to 
them  all,  even  Maja's  distant  manners  softening 
towards  him. 

Emanuel  felt  happier  and  more  at  home  at 
Stjernsund  than  anywhere  he  had  been.  As  he 
allowed  himself  no  idleness,  he  used  the  time 
he  did  not  spend  in  fishing  excursions  and 
pleasure  parties  with  the  family,  in  inventing 
many  useful  household  articles,  in  which  Mr. 
Polheim  assisted  and  encouraged  him,  and  his 
success  made  him  a  special  favorite  with  the 
ladies. 

He  invented  a  flying-machine,  which  he  showed 
Mr.  Polheim. 

"  That  does  very  well  with  a  small  object,"  said 
Mr.  Polheim;  "  but  I  am  afraid  it  would  not  be  a 
success  with  a  larger  one." 

"I  don't  see  why,"  said  Emanuel,  "if  the  pro- 
portions are  correct." 


SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE.  19 

"  No,  the  air  could  not  hold  anything  heavier. 
Birds  above  a  certain  size  cannot  possibly  fly." 

"Why  not?  Now,  supposing  a  body  of  some 
light  and  air-tight  material  should  be  filled  with 
a  substance  that  was  lighter  than  the  surround- 
ing air,"  said  Emanuel. 

"What  is  that?  "  he  said,  interrupting  himself, 
as  a  large,  white  object  passed  behind  the  two 
gentlemen. 

"Why,  it  is  Emerentia,"  said  the  astonished 
father.  "  She  is  riding  our  old  white  mare. 
Halloo!  What  is  your  hurry?" 

It  was  impossible  even  for  the  dignified  Mr. 
Polheim  to  restrain  a  smile.  On  the  old  mare, 
that  had  been  turned  loose  to  spend  her  old  age  in 
freedom,  after  years  of  hard  toil  before  the  ore 
wagon,  sat  Emerentia,  holding  the  rope  in  one 
hand,  while  with  the  other  she  grasped  the  horse's 
mane  in  order  to  keep  her  seat.  The  mare,  urged 
on  by  the  hilarious  girl,  who  had  long  laid  plans 
for  this  stolen  pleasure,  had  caught  something  of 
her  spirit.  Emerentia  was  delighted,  but  she 
soon  felt  her  dignity  slipping  from  her,  when  her 
arms  began  to  flap  disagreeably. 

The  blanket  which  she  had  dragged  from  the 
stable  and  thrown  across  the  mare's  back, 


20  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

dropped  off,  and  now — oh,  dear,  why  have  mares 
no  respect  for  grown-up,  scientific,  grave  people? 
Emerentia  feared  that  she  would  ride  down  the 
gentlemen,  as  they  stood  gazing  at  the  flying- 
machine.  But  there  was  no  such  thing  as  stop- 
ping her  steed  in  its  mad  course,  and  she  just 
grazed  neatly  the  backs  of  the  two  gentlemen. 
Emerentia,  much  relieved,  wished  she  had  not 
been  seen  at  all.  She  heard  a  shout  behind  her, 
but  she  flew  on,  as  she  was  at  the  mercy  of  the 
mare,  who  had  not  permitted  herself  such  a 
prank  since  she  was  a  colt. 

But  even  the  spirit  of  an  old  mare  can  fail,  and 
horse  and  rider  stopped  before  a  fence  that  seemed 
too  high  to  leap,  and  Emerentia,  seizing  the 
opportunity,  jumped  down. 

She  hurried  home,  and  entered  her  room  with 
disheveled  hair  and  glowing  face. 

"  What  have  you  been  doing? "  exclaimed 
Maja.  "Are  you  hurt?" 

"No!  no!    Oh,  dear,  it  was  such  fun!  " 

"Are  you  sure  you  are  not  hurt?  If  you  are 
not,  it  is  all  right.  Come,  I  will  help  you  with 
your  dressing." 

This  unexpected  kindness  produced  a  reaction 
on  the  highly-strung  nerves  of  the  child,  who 
began  to  cry  and  sob. 


SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE.  21 

Her  sister  left  her  until  she  became  calmer,  and 
the  mother  came  in. 

"  Don't  cry  so,  Mrensa,  now  you  are  here  with 
us  sound  and  with  unbroken  bones;  we  are  all 
happy  again." 

"  Is  father  angry?"  Emerentia  asked,  looking 
through  her  fingers. 

"  No,  he  was  only  alarmed."  - 

"  You  see  I  want  to  learn  how  to  ride  horseback 
as  Maja  does,"  she  sobbed. 

"You  shall,  my  child,"  said  the  mother;  "but 
I  do  not  want  you  to  make  yourself  so  ridiculous, 
as  you  did  to-day." 

"  Thank  you,  mother.  Did  Mr.  Svedberg  laugh 
at  me?"  she  asked  timidly. 

"  Yes;  he  laughed.  He  thought  you  were  going 
to  knock  him  down." 

Emerentia,  comforted,  took  particular  pains  to 
dress  well  in  white,  and  insisted  upon  wearing  a 
blue  ribbon  round  her  neck.  Company  had  been 
invited  this  evening  in  honor  of  Mr.  Svedberg, 
who  was  going  to  leave  Stjernsund  the  following 
day. 

A  fiddler,  engaged  to  play,  was  sitting  in  a 
corner  of  the  large  dining-room,  which  served  as 
a  dancing-room. 


22  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  Your  ride  this  morning  did  not  prevent  your 
dancing  to-night,"  said  Emanuel  to  Emerentia. 

"  No,  not  in  the  least.  Father  had  to  promise 
me  that  I  should  ride  horseback.  I  do  love 
horses  so.  Didn't  that  old  horse  and  I  have  a 
fine  time  to  day,"  she  said,  clasping  her  hands  in 
childish  delight. 

Emanuel  looked  at  her  admiringly. 

"  Emerentia,  do  you  mind  giving  me  that  rib- 
bon you  wear  around  your  neck?  Just  to  remem- 
ber you  by,  you  know.  I  have  spent  such  a  happy 
time  here." 

She  gave  him  the  ribbon,  and  looking  earnestly 
into  his  eyes,  she  said:  "  I  have  kept  your  flower, 
and  I  have  not  forgotten  what  I  promised  that 
day." 

Emanuel  bowed,  with  a  happy  smile.  The 
dance  over,  he  next  asked  Maja  for  a  dance. 

"  Emerentia  likes  you,  Mr.  Svedberg,"  she  said, 
looking  sharply  at  him. 

Despite  himself,  he  blushed. 

"  I  am  very  fond  of  the  child,"  he  said.  "  We  are 
great  friends." 

"If  she  should  hear  you  call  her  a  child,  she 
would  never  forgive  you." 

"  She  will  be  a  charming  woman  when  she 
grows  up." 


&WEI)ENBOItG'llS  LIFE.  23 

u  Yes,  she  is  very  pretty  and  sweet,"  said  Maja. 
In  her  inmost  soul,  she  felt  a  pang  of  envy  to  hear 
her  sister  praised,  for  she  was  well  aware,  that 
Emerentia  was,  even  now,  the  more  attractive  of 
the  two. 

"  Perhaps  you  would  be  interested  to  see  a 
Dalecarlian  polka,  as  it  is  danced  by  the  peasants 
here;  would  you,  Mr.  Svedberg?" 

"I  would  indeed,"  he  said. 

She  excused  herself  for  a  few  minutes,  and  came 
back  with  her  sister,  both  dressed  in  Dalecarlian 
costumes  with  black  accordeon  skirts,  variegated 
striped  aprons,  that  reached  to  the  bottom  of  the 
skirts,  white  shirts,  red  and  green  bodices,  and 
silk  kerchiefs  round  their  necks.  They  wore 
silver  belts  and  buckles,  and  black  sugar-loaf  caps 
on  their  heads. 

The  two  girls  looked  charming  in  their  cos- 
tumes, while  they  danced  a  lively  running  dance. 

An  elaborate  supper  followed,  with  toasts  and 
speeches. 

When  the  last  guest  had  left  the  house,  Mr. 
Polheim  asked  Emanuel  to  come  into  his  study. 

"  I  wish  to  see  you  about  something  that,  prop- 
erly speaking,  should  come  from  you,"  he  said, 
with  a  little  cough. 


24  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"From  me?"  said  the  astonished  young  man. 

"  Yes,  let  me  explain.  You  are  going  to  leave 
us,  and  I  want  to  express  to  you  how  much  my 
wife  and  myself  think  of  you,"  he  said,  "not  only 
as  the  son  of  one  of  the  great  men  of  Sweden, 
but  for  your  own  sake,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  as- 
sist you  in  every  way  I  can." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Polheim.  If  you  would  write 
some  articles  now  and  then  for  my  pamphlet,  I 
think  it  might  be  of  benefit  to  science  and  to 
both  of  us." 

"  Yes,  I  promise  you  my  assistance  with  that, 
and  I  will  also  introduce  you  to  the  king,  who,  I 
am  sure,  will  take  an  interest  in  you,  and  as  I 
think  that,  with  your  integrity  and  your  thorough 
knowledge,  you  will  have  a  brilliant  future,  it 
would  please  us  very  much  to  see  you  become 
one  of  our  family." 

"  You  mean — to — marry  Miss  Maja — ,"  stam- 
mered Emanuel,  blushing. 

"  Yes,  that  is,  if  you  two  should  care  for  each 
other." 

The  proposal  came  so  suddenly  upon  Eman- 
uel, that  he  was  speechless  for  a  moment. 
He  remembered  all  the  little  ruses  of  Mrs.  Pol- 
heim, who,  against  Swedish  etiquette,  had  often 


>S'  WED  KXB  Oil  <;'  A'  L  IFK.  25 

left  the  two  young  people  together.  Emanuel 
had  been  too  inexperienced  to  understand  what 
it  all  meant. 

"  What  has  Miss  Maja  to  say  about  it  herself?" 
said  Emanuel,  at  last.  "  I  am  very  grateful  that 
you  think  so  highly  of  me,  but  my  future  is 
somewhat  unsettled  yet." 

Maja  was  called  in.  She  was  still  dressed  in 
her  pretty  costume,  and  with  more  color  than 
usual  in  her  face,  she  looked  uncommonly  attrac- 
tive. 

While  Mr.  Polheim,  in  a  sober  and  business- 
like manner,  explained  the  proposal  to  her, 
Maja  nervously  picked  her  apron,  and  constantly 
changed  color. 

"  I  thank  you,  father,  and  you,  Mr.  Svedberg,  for 
your  honorable  offer,"  she  said,  looking  sideways 
at  the  latter.  "  As  my  heart  is  free,  I  may  accept 
your  offer,  and  I  hope  to  learn  to  love  you,  as  I 
ought  to." 

"  Then,  perhaps,  you  will  sign  this  paper,  my 
daughter,"  said  Mr.  Polheim. 

It  read  as  follows: 

"  I,  Christoffer  Polheim,  promise  and  give  my  full  con- 
sent to  the  marriage  between  my  daughter  Maja  Polheim 
and  Emanuel  Svedberg,  whenever  the  parties  concerned 
agree  to  become  united." 


26  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

Maja  read  it  through  twice.  With  a  little  sigh, 
she  signed  her  name  to  it. 

Emanuel,  taking  it,  raised  her  hand  to  his  lips 
and  kissed  her  mouth. 

"  But,"  she  whispered  anxiously,  "  not  for  many 
years  yet,  Mr.  Svedberg." 

"  Emanuel,"  he  corrected.  "  No,  our  happiness 
must  be  completed  before  long." 

Mrs.  Polheim  came  in. 

"I  wish  you  both  joy  and  happiness,  my 
children.  I  can  not  wish  you  more  perfect  happi- 
ness than  I  have  enjoyed  myself,"  she  said,  with 
a  grateful  look  at  her  husband. 

As  it  was  late,  they  all  retired  for  the  night. 
Emanuel  stayed  awake  many  hours  that  night, 
thinking  of  what  had  happened.  Maja  did  the 
same,  and  they  both  tried  to  imagine  themselves 
the  happiest  mortals  living.  How  they  suc- 
ceeded remains  to  be  seen. 


8WEDENBOR&S  LIFE.  27 

CHAPTER   II. 

EMANUEL    MEETS    KARL    XII. 

E  MANUEL  SVEDBERG  was  one  of  nine  chil- 
dren of  Jesper  Svedberg  and  his  wife,  Sarah 
Behm,  who  had  brought  a  good  fortune  to  the 
house. 

After  her  death,  in  1696,  Jesper  Svedberg,  who 
was  an  active  worker  for  the  church,  and  a  zeal- 
ous reformer,  was  appointed  one  of  the  commis- 
sion to  revise  the  Swedish  Bible.  In  order  to 
promote  the  success  of  this  work,  he  advanced 
50,000  daler,*  in  copper,  belonging  to  his  children. 
His  efforts  were,  however,  fruitless  on  account  of 
the  opposition  of  the  envious  clergy,  and  he  lost 
the  money,  which  caused  his  family  much  griev- 
ance. 

Jesper  Svedberg  occupied  a  professor's  chair 
in  Upsala  for  ten  years,  and  was  afterward  ap- 
pointed Bishop.  As  such  he  interested  himself 
much  in  the  welfare  of  the  Swedish  colony  in 
Delaware,  in  America,  whither  one  of  his  sons 
emigrated. 

*  One  daler  is  equal  to  ten  cents.  Money  was,  at  that  time,  of 
much  higher  value  than  now. 


28  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

The  Bishop,  who  was  noted  for  his  frankness 
and  courage  in  expressing  his  opinion,  had  many 
enemies,  but  he  was  always  upheld  by  the  great 
King  of  Sweden,  Karl  XI,  and  later  by  his  son, 
Karl  XII. 

It  was  on  the  ground  of  his  father's  favor  with 
the  two  kings  that  Emanuel  based  his  hopes  of 
obtaining  some  good  position,  and  of  winning  the 
attention  of  Karl  XII. 

Emanuel  had,  in  1709,  taken  his  philosophical 
degree  at  Upsala  University,  after  which  he  spent 
a  few  years  abroad  to  finish  his  education,  a  finish, 
at  that  time,  considered  necessary  to  every  man 
of  distinction. 

Emanuel  arrived  at  London  in  the  middle  of 
the  reign  of  Queen  Anne.  Handel,  just  come  from 
Italy,  was  composing  his  "Messiah,"  Pope  was 
issuing  his  "Essay  on  Criticism,"  and  Addison 
and  Steele  were  publishing  the  "Tattler"  and  the 
"Spectator."  A  time  pregnant  with  such  great 
thoughts  could  not  but  inspire  Svedberg.  In 
1711,  he  wrote  home  to  his  brother-in-law,  the 
learned  Benzelstjerna,  "  I  am  seized  with  an  im- 
moderate desire  to  know  mathematics,"  and  he 
mastered  the  practical  trades  of  watch-making, 
cabinet-making  and  mathematical  instrument- 


8WEDENBOR&S  LIFE.  29 

making.  Astronomy  attracted  his  attention  next, 
after  he  had  met  De  La  Hire,  the  Dutch  astrono- 
mer. Svedberg  spent  some  time  in  Paris,  and 
returned  to  Sweden  via  Germany,  in  1715. 

The  same  year  Karl  XII  returned  penniless, 
and  without  one  follower  from  his  adventurous 
war  with  Russia.  The  proud  king,  who  never 
would  admit  a  failure,  and  who  knew  that  he  was 
opposed  by  a  strong  party  and  the  whole  Diet  in 
Stockholm,  remained  in  southern  Sweden,  mainly 
in  Lund,  from  which  city  he  directed  all  his 
further  operations.  There  he  surrounded  himself 
with  such  men  as  the  cunning  Gorz,  who  aided 
him  in  raising  money  by  taking  up  loans  and 
issuing  copper  money.  As  this  temporary  means 
was  abused,  contrary  to  Gorz's  order,  it  proved  to 
be  an  utter  failure;  but  it  enabled  the  king  to 
procure  new  armies,  and  he  rewarded  Gorz,  by 
making  him  Prime  Minister. 

The  king's  headquarters  were  in  a  plain  wooden 
house,  near  the  cathedral.  It  would  have  been 
impossible  to  guess  from  the  simple,  bare  room, 
with  its  long  table  and  wooden  chairs,  that  this 
was  the  place  where  a  king  made  his  home,  even 
temporarily,  or  that  this  tajl  young  man,  dressed 
in  a  simple,  tight-fitting,  blue  military  coat  with 


30  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

brass  buttons,  and  high  boots,  was  the  king  who 
once  made  Europe  tremble. 

He  was  looking  attentively  at  some  papers, 
leaning  his  head  on  his  hand.  His  large  head 
was  covered  with  brown  hair.  He  had  a  full 
forehead,  kind  blue  eyes;  a  large  nose,  broad  at 
the  base,  and  thick,  beardless  lips.  An  officer 
entered,  announcing  the  arrival  of  two  gentlemen, 
Assessor  Polheim  and  Mr.  Svedberg. 

"  Let  them  come  in,"  said  the  king,  who  im- 
mediately rose  to  meet  them.  "I  rejoice  to  meet 
you,  my  dear  friend,"  he  said  to  Polheim.  "So, 
this  is  Svedberg,  son  of  my  father's  friend,  the 
Bishop.  I  hope  that  you  will  be  as  faithful  to 
me,  as  your  father  has  been.  Your  name  is 
Emanuel,  that  means  i  God  with  us.'  Sit  down, 
gentlemen.  What  can  I  do  for  you?  " 

"With  your  majesty's  permission,  I  will  first 
speak  about  my  young  friend,  in  whom  I  take  a 
great  interest,  and  whom  I  love  like  my  own  son," 
said  Polheim. 

"Good!  I  am  glad  to  know  you,  I  need  such 
men  as  you  two." 

"  I  hope  to  be  able  to  serve  your  majesty  and 
my  country,  with  what  knowledge  I  have  gained." 

"  I  hear  you  have  already  distinguished  your- 


SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE.  31 

self  abroad,  by  being  prominent  among  Swedes 
for  your  learning.  Your  paper  on  the  longitude 
of  Upsala  is  very  remarkable. "  Emanuel  blushed 
with  pleasure  at  the  king's  praise. 

"In  the  interest  of  the  sciences,"  he  said,  "I 
have  published  a  pamphlet  since  I  came  home 
from  abroad,  which  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of 
dedicating  to  your  majesty,  who  I  know  is  a 
patron  of  science,  and  I  have  named  it '  Daedalus.' " 
"  If  you  have  brought  a  copy,  leave  it  with  me. 
It  will  give  me  much  pleasure  to  look  it  over. 
And  you.  Polheim,"  said  the  king,  turning  to  him, 
"  you  must  remain  with  me  for  a  while,  at  least.  I 
need  your  assistance  for  some  improvement  plans 
I  have  been  thinking  of.  Perhaps  we  can  find 
something  for  your  friend  to  do  also." 

"  I  am  your  majesty's  most  faithful  servant,'7 
said  Polheim. 

"  Call  again  next  week,  and  we  will  begin  our 
work,"  said  the  king.  ''Ah!  Svedberg,  I  want  to 
show  you  a  system  of  counting  that  I  have  in- 
vented. You  are  a  mathematician,  and  I  know 
you  will  see  through  it  at  a  glance.  Take  it  home, 
and  tell  me  what  you  think  of  it.  What  kind  of 
a  position  would  you  prefer,  a  college  professor's 
or  what?" 


32  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"Your  majesty  is  very  gracious,"  said  EmanueL 
"  If  I  may  have  any  choice  in  the  matter,  I  would 
prefer  to  occupy  some  place  where  my  knowledge 
of  mathematics  could  be  used  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage." 

"  How  would  you  like  the  assessorship  over  the 
College  of  Mines  in  Stockholm?  It  has  not  been 
filled  for  many  years,"  said  the  king. 

"I  thank  your  majesty  most  humbly.  Such  a 
position  would  be  very  agreeable  to  me." 

"  I  will  see  that  you  have  it." 

The  audience  was  over. 

A  few  days  later,  after  the  king  had  assured 
himself  about  the  credentials  of  Svedberg,  he  sent 
the  following  decree  to  the  College  of  Mines  in 
Stockholm: 

"Karl  by  the  grace  of  God,  King  of  Sweden,  Gotha 
and  Wendia. 

'*  Our  especial  favor  and  gracious  pleasure,  under  God 
Almighty,  to  the  true  men  and  servants,  to  our  Council 
and  President,  as  well  as  Vice-President,  and  to  all  the 
members  of  the  College  of  Mines. 

"Inasmuch  as  we  have  graciously  designed  to  com- 
mand, that  Emanuel  Svedberg  shall  be  Assessor  Extra- 
ordinary in  the  College  of  Mines,  although  he,  at  the  same 
time,  is  to  attend  Polheim,  the  Councellor  of  Commerce, 
and  to  be  of  assistance  to  him  in  his  engineering  work,  and 
in  carrying  out  his  designs— therefore,  it  is  our  pleasure 
hereby,  to  let  you  know  this  with  our  gracious  com- 
mand, and  that  you  allow  him  a  seat  and  voice  in  the 


8WEDENBOR&8  LIFE.  33 

college,  whenever  he  be  present,  and  especially,  when 
any  business  be  brought  forward,  pertaining  to  me- 
chanics. 

"  We  hereby  command  you,  especially  arid  graciously, 
to  God,  the  Almighty.  CAROLUS.* 

"  LUND,  Dec.  18,  1716." 

The  king  and  Polheim  made  plans  for  the 
building  of  salt  works  in  Sweden,  and  they  were 
both  highly  interested  in  the  scheme. 

"  It  is  an  excellent  idea,"  said  the  king.  "  Such 
works  might  bring  more  to  the  country  than  the 
iron  mines." 

"  I  believe  so,  too,  your  majesty,"  said  Pol- 
heim, enthusiastically.  "  I  have  received  some 
important  news  from  Svedberg.  He  writes  that 
in  1516,  shortly  before  the  reign  of  Gustavus 
Wasa,  your  majesty's  celebrated  ancestor,  the 
learned  Bishop  Brask  proposed  the  building  of 
a  canal  across  Sweden  from  the  west  coast  to 
Stockholm.  His  plans  of  the  canal  have  been 
found  among  old  letters  by  Benzelstjerna,  Sved- 
berg's  brother-in-law,  and  Svedberg  has  sent  them 
to  me,  to  subject  them  to  your  majesty's  wisdom 
and  judgment." 

"Ah,"    said   the     king,    grasping    the    paper, 

*  Historical.  The  inferior  composition  was  due  to  the  style  of 
the  time,  and  to  the  short  period  of  instruction  the  king  had  en- 
joyed. 


34  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  Brask  was  a  genius — and  you,  Polheim,  are 
another.  You  shall  carry  out  his  ideas." 

"  But,  your  majesty,  where  will  the  money  come 
from?" 

"Money!  money!"  he  said.  "How  can  I 
create  money!  Let  me  have  the  plans — by  the  way, 
why  have  I  not  received  the  '  Daedalus '  lately?" 

"Lack  of  money,"  said  Polheim,  shrugging  his 
shoulders. 

"  Eternally  the  same  story.  But  I  will  see 
that  he  has  some.  Leave  the  plans  of  the  canal 
with  me." 

King  Karl  kept  his  promise,  and  furnished 
money  for  the  building  of  the  canal,  which  was 
entrusted  to  Polheim  and  Svedberg. 

The  Gotha  river  is  the  outlet  of  the  large  lake 
Venern,  and  is  navigable  to  its  outlet  in  Skage- 
rack,  except  at  Trollhattan,  where  the  river  makes 
a  tumble,  though  not  at  once,  of  thirty-eight 
meters  at  the  Trollhatte  Falls.  The  first  of  these 
falls  is  the  Golden  Isle  Fall,  enclosing  an  inac- 
cessible little  island,  also  called  the  Golden  Isle. 
The  Top  Island  Fall  is  the  largest  and  deepest, 
enclosing  Top  Island.  The  three  Hell  Falls  are 
the  last. 

Polheim  had   signed  a  contract,  pledging  him- 


SWEDENBORG''®  LIFE.  35 

self  to  build  in  five  years,  a  canal  and  locks  lead- 
ing past  these  falls.  His  plan  was  to  build  the 
canal  in  the  midst  of  the  river.  When  the  first 
locks  were  completed,  they  were  to  be  tested,  and 
the  occasion  celebrated  by  the  presence  of  King 
Karl. 

Svedberg  stood  watching  the  sun  as  it  sank 
below  the  wood-clad  shores  of  the  mighty  river. 

"  This  is  truly  one  of  the  most  beautiful  scenes 
of  all  I  have  seen  in  Northern  Europe,"  he  said. 
The  water-mark  on  the  high  rocks  on  both  sides, 
showed  how  much  higher  the  river  had  been  ages 
ago.  As  far  as  his  eye  could  reach,  he  could  see 
the  winding  river.  Below  him  rushed  the  falls 
madly  and  with  unceasing  noise. 

But  Svedberg  was  not  in  a  mood  to  enjoy  beau- 
tiful scenery  this  evening.  He  threw  himself 
down  on  the  grass,  and  took  a  letter  from  his 
pocket,  which  he  read  several  times. 

"  So  Manderstrom,  chamberlain  of  the  king,  is 
the  lucky  one.  A  title!  Oh,  yes!  Am  I  not  As- 
sessor of  the  College  of  Mines?  What  is  a  cham- 
berlain of  the  king?  She  prefers  an  empty  title 
to  knowledge  and  capacity!  Ah/' he  said,  crumb- 
ling the  letter  in  his  hand,  "I  understand!  I  am 
not  of  the  nobility!  I  might  be  some  day!  How 


W  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

humiliating!  She  does  not  even  write  to  inform 
me — her  promised  husband!  I  happen  to  learn  of 
it  through  others.  It  is  true  she  never  loved  me. 
Did  I  really  love  her?  But  to  be  thus  jilted!  Ah, 
my  calculating  Miss  Maj  a,  Twill  have  my  revenge 
yet!" 

Two  young  peasants  came  to  view  the  locks. 
They  did  not  see  Svedberg. 

"  This  is  wonderful,"  said  one.  "  See  how  deep 
they  have  cut  down  here." 

"  What  is  this  for?" 

"  The  king  is  coming  to-morrow,  and  then  Mr. 
Polheim  will  strike  the  rock  with  a  wand  as 
Moses  did,  and  then  the  water  will  spout  from 
the  rock,  and  fill  this  lock  way  up  to  the 
border." 

"  But  what  is  it  all  for?" 

"  To  let  the  ships  in,  and  people  say  that  that 
Svedberg  is  just  such  a  magician.  You  should 
see  him!  He  makes  a  hole  in  the  rock,  and  he 
puts  in  some  stuff  that  looks  like  earth,  and  to 
that  he  puts  fire,  and  every  man  has  to  run  away, 
and  then  you  should  see  the  stones,  how  they  are 
flung  up,  as  if  a  giant  had  spit  them  out." 

"  Oh,  you  lie,"  said  the  other. 

"  No,  it  is  true.     He  could  fling  us  so  high  in 


SWEDENBOR&S  LIFE.  37 

the  air,  if  he  wanted  to,  that  we  should  never 
come  down  again." 

Svedberg  approached  to  speak  to  the  men,  but 
he  had  hardly  showed  himself,  before  the  one  who 
had  doubted  the  word  of  the  other,  said: 

u  That  is  he,"  and  they  both  fled  as  fast  as 
their  feet  could  carry  them. 

"  Everybody  seems  to  shun  me,"  he  said  bit- 
terly. "  How  much  there  is  still  to  be  done  for 
these  ignorant  people !"  Under  any  other  circum- 
stance he  would  have  laughed. 

When  he  returned  to  his  rooms,  Mr.  Polheim 
informed  Svedberg,  that  Mr.  Manderstrom  had 
asked  for  Maja's  hand,  and  that  Maja  had  in- 
dorsed his  suit,  providing  Emanuel  would  release 
her  from  her  promise.  It  angered  the  father  very 
much  that  Maja  should  not  keep  her  agreement  to 
marry  Emanuel. 

"I  am  sorry,  but  Maja  is  very  independent 
as  you  know." 

u  I  am  sorry,  too,"  said  Emanuel,  quietly. 
"  But  you  have  another  daughter." 

"  Mrensa,"  exclaimed  the  father.  "  But  she  is 
too  young!  How  old  is  the  child?  Sixteen.  She 
is  the  baby  you  see,  and  I  can  hardly  realize  her 
real  age.  Do  you  like  her?" 


38  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  I  have  always  liked  her,  and  would  be  very 
grateful,  if  you  would  promise  her  to  me,  pfo- 
vided  she  cares  for  me,"  said  Emanuel. 

"  Very  well,  then;  I  will  write  and  ask  her.  I 
hope  this  will  not  be  a  disappointment,  too." 

The  two  men  shook  hands  to  seal  the  fate  of 
another  woman. 

The  next  day  the  people  in  the  vicinity  were  in 
an  unusual  commotion,  on  account  of  the  arrival 
of  their  beloved  king.  They  liked  to  see  one, 
they  were  taught  to  look  upon  almost  as  a  god, 
appear  like  a  common  mortal. 

They  had  set  aside  their  common  drudgery,  and 
come  out  with  their  babies  and  their  lunch - 
baskets. 

"  The  king!  King  Karl!"  was  the  cry,  when  he 
at  last  appeared  on  horse-back,  all  covered  with 
dust. 

He  dismounted,  and  followed  by  Polheirn, 
Svedberg  and  others,  he  walked  toward  the  bank 
of  the  canal. 

At  this  moment  a  cannon  was  fired,  the  lock 
was  opened  slowly,  and  a  sailing  vessel,  which 
had  been  placed  in  the  water,  sunk  as  the  water 
fell,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  people.  A 
tremendous  hurrah  followed. 


SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE.  39 

"King  Karl!  PolheimI  Svedberg!"  they  cried. 
The  crowd  would  have  carried  them  on  its  shoul- 
ders, but  the  king  motioned  for  silence.  He  made 
a  short  speech  about  the  significance  of  this  en- 
terprise for  the  country,  and  praised  the  bold 
genius  of  Polheim,  whom  he  wished  health  and 
strength  to  continue  his  work. 

The  king  and  his  party  soon  retired  to  the 
mansion  where  he  wras  staying,  and  where  a  big 
dinner  was  served  on  their  return.  The  king  ate 
little  or  nothing,  and  seemed  absent-minded. 
After  dinner  he  took  Svedberg's  arm,  and  they 
walked  out  in  the  garden  together.  The  king 
spoke  about  his  campaign  to  Norway,  and  wished 
Svedberg  to  join  him. 

"  But  Assessor  Polheim  can  not  spare  me  very 
well,"  said  Svedberg.  "  Every  day  and  hour  is 
of  importance,  if  he  is  to  finish  the  work  within 
the  appointed  time." 

u  I  have  been  told  that  you  refuse  to  pay  your 
men  their  wages.  Is  that  true,  Svedberg?" 

"  I  have  only  withheld  their  wages  for  a  time 
to  keep  up  the  discipline.  The  long  wars  make 
good  men  scarce,  and  those  that  are  left,  we  must 
manage  as  best  we  can,"  said  Svedberg. 

"  There  have  also  been  complaints  made  of  in- 
justice on  your  part." 


40  .  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  Have  I  not  served  your  majesty  faithfully  all 
these  years  ?  Will  your  majesty  listen  to  slan- 
der?" said  Svedberg,  in  an  injured  tone. 

"  A  monarch  never  knows  where  his  true  serv- 
ants are,'7  said  the  king.  "The  air  is  full  of  in- 
trigues to  wrest  the  sceptre  from  our  hand." 

It  was  not  long  after  this  conversation  that 
Karl's  life  was  cut  short  by  a  bullet,  that,  during 
a  siege  of  a  fort  in  Norway,  penetrated  his  temple. 

With  Karl  XII,  fell  the  despotism  introduced 
into  Sweden  by  Karl  XI.  Through  the  abuse  of 
his  power,  Karl  XII  brought  the  country  to  the 
verge  of  ruin.  It  took  Sweden  a  century  to 
recover  from  the  effects  thereof. 

Polheim's  canal-building  was  discontinued 
after  the  king's  death,  through  lack  of  means,  and 
the  entire  canal  was  not  finished  until  1836. 

Polheim's  lock  is  still  in  existence,  but  not  in 
use,  as  the  canal  was  made  wider,  and  built  in  a 
different  direction  from  what  he  had  intended. 
An  arm  of  the  Gotha  river  rushes  to-day  through 
Polheim's  lock,  and  has  turned  it  into  a  deep 
cataract. 

Little  did  Polheim  dream  that  the  cherished 
work  of  his  life  should  thus  come  to  naught. 


SWEDENBORGPS  LIFE.  41 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    TWO    STAGS. 

IT  was  in  1721.  Ulrika  Eleonora  had  been 
elected  Queen  of  Sweden  after  the  death  of  her 
brother,  Karl  XII,  on  the  condition  that  absolute 
monarchy  should  be  abolished. 

This  queen,  who  had  a  stubborn  disposition, 
without  the  ability  that  marked  her  brother, 
reigned  only  two  years,  when  she  abdicated  her 
crown  in  favor  of  her  husband,  Fredrik  I. 

Ulrika  Eleonora,  in  recognition  of  the  high 
merits  of  the  Svedberg  family,  ennobled  them, 
when  they  took  the  name  of  Swedenborg. 

Emanuel  Swedenborg,  as  we  will  henceforth 
call  him,  now  devoted  his  whole  time  to  his 
duties  as  Assessor  of  the  College  of  Mines,  in 
Stockholm,  and  he  was  never  absent  from  his 
office  except  during  a  few  weeks  in  the  summer, 
when  he  was  obliged  to  examine  some  mines  for 
the  College. 

Emanuel  was  now  thirty-three  years  of  age. 
The  Polheim  family  had,  after  Maja's  marriage, 


42  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

moved  to  Stockholm,  and  Emanuel  visited  them 
very  frequently. 

Emerentia  was  to  be  his  bride  before  long,  and 
Emanuel,  who  loved  for  the  first  time  in  his  life, 
was  happy  only  in  her  presence. 

One  evening,  when  the  Polheim  family  were 
assembled  in  the  sitting-room,  chatting  in  the 
long  twilight,  the  knocker  on  the  outside  door 
was  heard.  Emerentia  rushed  to  the  window  to 
see  who  it  was. 

"Ah,  it  is  that  man  again,"  she  said,  with  a 
little  sigh. 

"  Mrensa,  is  that  the  way  you  speak  about 
your  betrothed,"  said  a  voice  through  the  dark 
room . 

"Brother,  have  you  ever  been  in  love?  Tell 
me,  what  is  it  like?"  she  said. 

"Mrensa,  you  are  incorrigible,"  he  said. 

At  this  moment  Emanuel  entered,  greeting  the 
company  cheerfully. 

"Ah,  you  are  still  in  the  twilight,"  he  said. 
"  Mrensa,  I  have  something  for  you.  But  where 
is  she?  I  know  she  was  in  the  room  when  I 
came  in." 

He  hunted  all  over  the  room,  until  a  titter 
revealed  to  him  where  she  was  concealed.  He 


8WEDENBOR&8  LIFE.  43 

took  her  in  his  arms,  and  covered  her  face  with 
kisses. 

"You  naughty  baby,"  he  said,  tenderly,  "come 
and  sit  down  here,  and  tell  me  what  you  have 
been  doing  to-day.  Did  you  read  anything  in  the 
book  Heft  for  you?" 

"What  book?  "  she  said.  "  Oh,  that  one  with 
the  red  cover  and  gilt  edges?  No,  mother  made 
me  sew  on  my  trousseau.  Oh,  I  hate  to  sew." 

"You  need  not  sew;  I  will  hire  all  the  sewing 
done  for  you,"  he  said. 

"  It  is  not  that;  but  you  see  mother  is  such  a 
fine  housekeeper,  and  she  says  she  wants  me  to 
know  how  everything  should  be  done.  But  it  is 
so  hard  to  sit  still  and  be  patient.  I  long  for  the 
country,  where  I  can  ride  horseback,  and  where 
we  can  have  dances  often." 

"  But  you  can  go  to  parties  here.  I  have 
brought  an  invitation  for  a  ball  next  week." 

"Oh,"  she  said,  dancing  with  delight,  "I  hope 
mother  will  let  me  go!  " 

"  I  believe  the  invitation  is  for  the  whole  fam- 
ily, from  Baron  von  Sachs." 

"  So  it  is!  How  lovely!  But  I  do  not  think  I 
can  go,"  she  said  suddenly,  looking  very  serious. 
"  I  am  afraid  mother  will  take  away  this 


44  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

pleasure  from  me.  I  am  under  punishment,  you 
know." 

"What  have  you  done?"  asked  Emanuel, 
smiling. 

"  I  was  told  to  hem  two  yards  on  a  sheet  this 
morning,  and  I  was  sitting  up-stairs  in  my  cosy 
little  room,  and  the  sun  shone  in  so  pleasantly  on 
my  flower-pots,  I  watered  my  flowers,  and  began 
looking  over  my  pretty  things  that  you  have  given 
me,  and  before  I  knew  it  my  two  hours  were  up, 
and  mother  came  to  examine  my  work.  She 
scolded  me — well,  I  deserved  it — and  she  made 
me  sit  down  on  the  stairs,  and  told  me  that  I 
could  not  come  down  until  I  had  sewed  ten  min- 
utes on  every  step,  and  if  I  had  finished  my  two 
yards  by  the  time  I  reached  the  last  step,  I  should 
be  dismissed." 

"  Did  you  succeed?"  asked  Swedenborg,  laugh- 
ing. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  with  a  comical  expression; 
"  but  it  was  so  poorly  done  that  I  shall  have  to  rip 
it  all  up  to-morrow." 

u  My  poor  little  dove,"  he  said,  kissing  her. 
"  Your  mother  will  make  an  excellent  -wife  of  you 
one  of  these  days.  Tell  me,  Emerentia,  when  will 
we  be  married?  " 


SWEDENBOR&S  LIFE.  45 

"  I  don't  want  to  marry  you  at  all,"  she  said, 
impetuously. 

Emanuel  turned  pale,  but  said  gently:  "That 
is  one  of  your  usual  cruel  speeches,  which  I  know 
you  do  not  mean." 

"  I  have  had  a  letter  from  Maja,"  she  said. 
"  She  says  that  she  is  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long. 
I  hope  she  will  come  and  visit  us  soon.  The 
candles  are  lit  now.  Come,  let  us  go  where  the 
others  are." 

They  entered  the  sitting-room,  where  Karl  was 
reading  aloud  to  his  mother,  who  was  knitting 
woolen  stockings  by  the  light  of  tallow  candles, 
placed  here  and  there.  The  room  was  low- 
studded;  the  fireplace,  or  the  tile  oven,  reaching 
from  floor  to  ceiling,  was  made  of  blue  and  white 
porcelain  tiles,  and  in  a  small  opening  was  built 
a  wood  fire. 

"  Do  not  let  us  interrupt  your  reading,"  said 
Emanuel;  "we  will  listen,  too." 

"  No,"  said  Karl;  "  let  us  have  a  game  of  pref- 
erence. It  is  a  French  game  that  is  very  fashion- 
able now  at  the  Queen's  card  parties." 

"  Yes,  a  game  would  be  a  pleasant  diversion," 
said  Mrs.  Polheim.  "It  is  very  good  to  know 
that  we  have  some  court  life  again." 


46  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  Yes,"  said  Emanuel;  "but  the  present  court 
is  very  dull  in  comparison  with  Queen  Kristina's 
brilliant  court.  The  long  wars  since  her  time 
have  made  everything  so  sad." 

"  Mother,  Emanuel  has  an  invitation  for  us  to 
Baron  von  Sachs',"  said  Emerentia,  while  she 
helped  her  brother  to  arrange  the  card-table. 

Emanuel  handed  the  written  invitation  to  Mrs. 
Polheim. 

"  Thank  you,  I  hope  my  husband  will  be  able 
to  come.  You  are  coming,  I  hope.  Emanuel?  " 
she  said. 

"  I  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  escort  you,"  he  said, 
looking  at  Emerentia,  his  partner  in  the  game. 

Karl,  a  bright  youth  of  eighteen,  did  his  best  to 
instruct  them  in  this  complicated  game;  but  Mrs. 
Polheim  was  thinking  of  what  dresses  should  be 
worn  at  the  ball,  and  Emanuel  was  absorbed  in 
looking  at  and  thinking  of  Emerentia,  and  Emer- 
entia was  dreaming  of  the  pleasures  of  the  ball. 

At  last  Karl  burst  out  laughing. 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  you  all?  Your  mis- 
takes are  too  glaring,  even  for  beginners,"  he 
said. 

"  Bring  us  some  refreshments,  Emerentia," 
said  Mrs.  Polheim. 


8WEDENBOR&S  LIFE.  47 

With  a  sigh  of  relief  Emerentia  went  to  the  cup- 
board, from  which  she  took  out  some  glasses, 
which  she  placed  on  a  silver  tray. 

"  Brother  Karl,  help  me  to  pull  the  cork  from 
this  bottle,"  she  said. 

He  ran  to  her  assistance.  While  helping  her  to 
mix  a  cooling  drink,  she  whispered  to  him:  "  Do 
you  love  me?  " 

"  What  a  question!  Why,  sister,  you  are  cry- 
ing! What  is  the  matter?  Has  anybody  hurt 
your  feelings?  " 

"No.  Hush!  I  want  to  see  you  alone  to- 
night," she  said,  wiping  her  face,  and  when  she 
brought  the  refreshment  into  the  light  about  the 
table,  she  showed  her  usual  happy  smile. 

When  Emanuel  left  the  house  that  evening,  he 
whispered  to  Emerentia:  "Good  night,  my  wife 
to  be." 

"  Good  night,  Emanuel,"  she  said,  and  while 
she  looked  earnestly  into  his  face,  her  eyes  filled 
with  tears. 

Emanuel  hastened  home,  feeling  unusually 
elated.  Those  tears  he  interpreted  as  a  sign  of 
love. 

His  first  act  on  returning  home  was  to  open  his 
chiffonier  and  take  out  a  paper,  which  he  opened 


48  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

almost  reverently.  His  beautiful,  serene  face 
showed  the  tenderness  of  his  love,  as  he  pressed 
the  paper  to  his  lips.  It  was  the  contract  in 
which  Emerentia  had  promised  to  become  his 
wife. 

"  That  sweet,  pure  child  wife  of  mine,  whom  I 
have  loved  so  long!  What  happiness  could  sur- 
pass that  of  calling  her  mine!  " 

He  kissed  the  paper  once  more,  and  putting  it 
under  his  pillow,  he  knelt  down  and  prayed 
ardently,  and  as  he  did  so,  a  beautiful  child-like 
expression  came  over  his  face. 

"  I  thank  Thee,  Almighty  Father,  that  Thou 
dost  care  for  each  one  of  Thy  children,  arid  that 
Thou  hast  granted  me  such  untold  happiness. 
Make  me  humble  and  deserving  of  Thy  unceas- 
ing love." 

Thus  he  poured  forth  in  prayer  his  overflowing 
happiness. 

The  next  morning  Swedenborg  was  called  to  a 
dying  friend,  and  in  his  hurry  he  forgot  to  put 
away  his  precious  document.  He  was  obliged  to 
stay  away  several  days,  and  he  wrote  to  Emer- 
entia, informing  her  of  the  fact. 

Emerentia,  in  a  long  interview  with  her  brother, 
told  him  that  she  had  come  to  realize  how  impos- 


SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE.  49 

sible  it  was  for  her  to  love  Emanuel,  as  she  ought 
to  love  her  husband. 

"  But  you  do  not  hate  him?  "  he  said. 

"No;  I  love  him  as  a  father;  he  is  so  good. 
But  I  am  afraid  of  him;  he  is  so  much  older  than 
I.  Wouldn't  you  speak  to  father  for  me,  and 
tell  him  that  I  cannot  marry  him?J> 

"  No,  Mrensa;  I  dare  not.  You  know  how  dis- 
appointed father  was  when  Maja  broke  the 
engagement  with  Mr.  Swedenborg." 

"  I  wish  I  were  as  brave  as  Maja  was." 

"But  she  had  an  offer  of  marriage,  which 
made  it  easier  for  her." 

"  Oh,  Karl,"  she  said,  the  tears  running  down 
her  face,  "  you  don't  know  how  unhappy  that 
marriage  wou]d  make  me." 

"  Do  you  love  anybody  else?" 

"  No." 

"  Then  there  is  no  excuse  for  such  foolishness. 
Mr.  Swedenborg  has  a  title,  and  ranks  among  the 
high  nobility  at  the  diet,  and  he  is  a  man  of  whom 
Sweden  is  justly  proud.  Women  are  so  strange! 
Besides,  he  is  good-looking,  and  loving  and 
kind." 

"  But  I  tell  you  I  do  not  love  him,"  she  said, 
stamping  her  foot.  "  I  shall  never  marry  him.  I 


50  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

will  say  '  No  '  at  the  altar.  Karl,  you  must  help 
me.'7 

"Yes;  I  shall  tell  mother  how  foolish  you 
are." 

"  I  shall  speak  to  mother  myself,  when  I  feel 
like  it,"  she  said,  proudly.  Then,  suddenly 
changing  her  tone,  she  said  meekly:  "  Karl,  if 
you  have  any  pity  for  your  sister,  do  this  one 
thing  for  me.  Go  to  Emanuel's  room  and  bring 
me  the  paper  I  signed,  promising  to  marry  him. 
I  know  it  is  there.  He  told  me  he  keeps  it  by 
him  always.  Do  that  for  me,  and  I  will  thank 
you  all  my  life." 

"  Would  you  call  that  honorable,  particularly 
with  a  man  who  loves  you  so?  " 

"  It  is  the  only  thing  that  can  make  me  happy 
again." 

Several  days  passed,  and  Karl  could  not  make 
up  his  mind  to  secure  the  paper. 

One  day,  haunted  by  Emerentia's  haggard  look, 
Karl  went  to  Emanuel's  room,  where  he  was 
admitted  without  any  question.  Emanuel  was 
yet  absent,  and  Karl  found  the  document  where 
it  had  been  left  the  morning  Swedenborg  went 
away. 

Karl   was    rewarded   by    Emerentia's    smiling 


SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE.  51 

face,  and  she  made  him  promise  to  keep  the 
matter  a  secret. 

The  evening  of  the  same  day,  Swedenborg 
returned  home,  and  immediately  looking  for  his 
precious  document,  found  that  it  had  disappeared. 
Upon  inquiries,  he  learned  that  nobody  but  Karl 
Polheim  had  been  in  the  room  during  his 
absence. 

When  Emanuel,  the  following  day,  visited  the 
Polheim  family,  he  looked  so  wretched,  that  even 
the  cruel  Emerentia  took  pity  upon  him,  and  con- 
sented to  take  a  walk  with  him,  as  he  proposed, 
under  the  escort  of  Karl,  as  Mrs.  Polheim  was 
busy.  Karl  managed  to  keep  at  some  distance, 
by  looking  at  shop  windows  and  signs  of  all 
kinds. 

The  conversation  between  Emerentia  and  her 
betrothed  was  general  at  first. 

"  Emerentia,"  he  said,  slowly,  and  with  effort, 
"  are  you  aware  how  much  I  love  you?  " 

Emerentia  made  an  impatient  movement. 

"  Forgive  me  for  asking  one  question;  but  do 
you  really  love  me?"  he  continued. 

She  turned  her  head  away.  "  Why  should  we 
speak  about  such  matters  in  the  street?  "  she 
said. 


52  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  All  you  need  to  say  is,  '  Yes/  "  he  said,  with 
bitterness. 

"What  makes  you  ask  me?"  she  said  uneasily. 

"  I  have  lost  the  contract  between  us  in  a  mys- 
terious way,"  he  said,  hesitatingly. 

"Well,  I  am  here,  am  I  not?  What  does  a 
contract  amount  to  then?  " 

"Yes,  but  I  cannot  understand  how  it  hap- 
pened. My  servant  told  me  that  none  but  your 
brother  had  been  in  the  room." 

Emerentia  dropped  her  handkerchief,  and 
Emanuel  bent  down  and  picked  it  up. 

"You  came  to  my  room  yesterday,  Karl?"  he 
said.  Karl  now  joined  them. 

"  Yes,  I  came  to  see  about  a  book  I  wanted  to 
exchange,"  he  said,  with  a  hesitating  voice,  which 
Emanuel  did  not  note  at  the  time.  Emerentia 
began  to  chatter  in  her  old  pleasant  way,  and 
soothed  Emanuel  by  the  power  she  always 
exerted  over  him,  and  they  returned  from  their 
walk  apparently  in  good  spirits. 

The  loss  of  the  document  fretted  Swedenborg  so 
much  that  Mr.  Polheim  asked  him  the  cause,  and 
being  told,  laughingly  said  he  would  rewrite  it. 
When  asked  to  sign  the  new  contract,  Emerentia 
did  not  dare  to  oppose  her  father. 


SWEDENBORG'S  LIFE.  53 

She  could  not  long  conceal  her  unhappiness, 
and  Emanue]  suffered  tortures  because  of  her 
capricious  manner,  which  he  could  not  ex- 
plain. 

One  day  he  told  her  that  he  had  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  buy  a  pretty  house.  "  Would  you  like 
to  see  it,  Mrensa?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Are  you  sick,  Emerentia?" 

She  shook  her  head  again. 

"  You  act  so  strangely,"  he  said. 

"  I  am  so  unhappy,"  she  cried  out,  bursting 
into  tears. 

Einanuel,  who  was  used  to  Emerentia's  change- 
ability, asked:  "What  can  I  do  to  make  you 
happy?" 

"If  you  would  go  to  the  moon,  and  never  come 
back  again." 

"But,  Emerentia,  be  sensible.  I  will  not  goto 
the  moon,  or  even  out  of  this  room,  until  I  know 
what  makes  you  so  wretched." 

"  You  are  so  kind,  Emanuel,"  she  said,  sob- 
bing, "  and  that  makes  me  still  more  wretched." 
She  threw  herself  on  the  sofa  and  buried  her  head 
in  the  pillow. 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it,  dear.     Has  your  mother 


54  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

scolded  you?  If  you  marry  me,  I  will  never 
scold  you,"  he  said,  caressing  her. 

She  was  silent  for  awhile.  Sitting  upright  she 
said  in  a  low  tone,  twisting  her  handkerchief: 
"  Do  you  really  want  to  see  me  happy  again?  " 

"  Yes,  you  know  that." 

"  Then  give  me  back  the  contract  between  you 
and  me.  I  cannot  marry  you.  I  have  tried  so 
hard  to  please  you,  and  father  and  mother  and 
all,  but  I  do  not  love  you.  That  document  that 
you  lost  I  made  Karl  take  away  from  you,  but  I 
had  not  the  courage  to  tell  you  about  it.  I  can- 
not bear  it  any  longer,  and  I  beg  of  you  to  give 
me  back  my  freedom." 

"  Emerentia,"  stammered  Emanuel,  "  and  I 
who  love  you  so!  Do  you  remember  that  first 
morning  we  walked  out  together  at  Stjernsund, 
how  you  promised  me  never  to  do  anything  to 
hurt  my  feelings?  " 

uYes,  I  remember  it  very  well,"  said  Emer- 
entia, sadly,  "but  if  you  remember,  I  also  said, 
'  if  I  could  help  it,'  and  that  I  cannot.  But  you 
do  not  take  my  feelings  into  consideration  at  all. 
I  am  so  unhappy.  I  have  not  a  friend  in  the 
world,"  she  concluded,  breaking  down  again. 

Emanuel  knelt  down  before  her. 


X  \\~EDENBORG*  8  LIFE.  f>5 

"  Emerentia,"  he  said  gently,  "  I  will  go.  I 
cannot  see  you  suffer — I  suffer  so  intensely  my- 
self." He  kissed  her  and  left  the  room. 

Emerentia  told  her  mother  about  her  trouble. 
"  What  shall  I  do?  "  she  asked. 

"  My  daughter,  all  you  can  do  is  to  wait  and 
see  if  Emanuel  is  willing  to  give  up  the  contract. 
He  has  your  and  your  father's  promise." 

The  following  day,  when  Emanuel  came,  Em- 
erentia received  him  meekly  and  quietly. 

"  Emerentia,"  he  said,  "  I  have  been  selfish.  I 
ought  to  have  considered  that  you  and  I  belong 
to  two  different  generations.  I  knew  it,  and  yet 
I  hoped  that  you  would  learn  to  love  me.  Now, 
I  relinquish  all  right  to  you." 

"  Forgive  me  and  forget  me,"  she  said. 

"Forgive  you!  I  have  nothing  to  forgive. 
But  forget  you,  never!  No  woman  can  ever  win 
my  affection,  I  swear  it.  Give  me  one  last  kiss!" 

He  pressed  her  passionately  to  his  heart. 

"  God  be  with  you,"  he  said,  tearing  himself 
away  from  her. 

Emerentia,  although  afraid  of  her  father's  dis- 
approval, drew  a  sigh  of  relief  when  Emanuel  left 
the  room. 

As  Swedenborg  staggered  home,  dazed  by  the 


56  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

blow  his  love  and  pride  had  received,  he  remem- 
bered the  two  stags  of  his  dream  the  first  night 
at  Stjernsund. 

"  Ah,  I  understand  now,  that  it  meant  a  warn- 
ing," he  murmured. 


HWEDENBORG'8  LIFE.  57 

CHAPTER    IV. 

EMERENTIA  AND  EMANUEL  ONCE  MORE. 

IT  was  the  winter  of  1760. 
A  young  man  of  thirty  and  a  young  girl  of 
eighteen,  both  dressed  in  mourning,  were  walking 
together  up  the  hill  of  the  south  end  of  Stockholm, 
often  pausing  to  take  in  the  view,  as  if  seeing  it 
for  the  first  time. 

"  What  a  beautiful  city  Stockholm  is,"  said 
Emerentia  to  her  brother  Emanuel,  as  they 
stopped  to  look  back. 

"  Yes,  the  new  palace  adds  a  great  deal  to  its 
beauty.  The  situation  is  very  well  chosen,  on 
the  top  of  that  island,  where  it  looks  over  the 
water  in  four  directions." 

"  All  these  islands  will  some  day  be  covered 
with  handsome  buildings,"  continued  the  brother, 
"  but  not  in  our  time." 

The  hill  over  which  they  climbed,  was  reached 
by  the  outskirts  of  the  city. 

"  You  must  not  tell  father  of  this,  Emerentia. 
Mother  made  me  promise,  before  she  died,  to  take 
you  where  we  are  going  now." 


58  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  Are  we  not  going  to  see  the  family  you  spoke 
of?"  said  Emereiitia,  astonished. 

"I  am  sorry  I  have  deceived  you;  but  I  do  not 
think  you  will  be  disappointed." 

"  Where  are  we  going?  " 

"  I  promised  mother  that  I  would  take  you  to 
see  Assessor  Swedenborg." 

"  That  man  who  can  talk  with  spirits?"  said 
Emerentia,  frightened. 

"  Exactly,"  said  Emanuel,  smiling  and  looking 
down  upon  his  sister,  who  was  a  head  shorter  than 
himself. 

"  You  know  the  clergy  call  him  a  heretic.  He 
does  not  go  to  any  church." 

"  No,"  said  Emanuel;  "because  he  says  that 
he  can  hear  the  spirits  disputing  what  the 
preacher  says,  and  it  disturbs  him  so  that  he 
does  not  like  to  go  to  church." 

"How  queer!  And  they  say  that  he  can  talk 
to  the  Apostles,  and  anybody  he  wishes  to  call, 
no  matter  whether  they  lived  many  hundred 
years  ago,  and  that  he  speaks  as  naturally  to 
them  as  you  arid  I  speak  to  each  other  now.  I 
will  be  frightened.  Oh,  I  don't  want  to  go!  " 

"  Do  you  not  want  to  fulfill  mother's  wish?" 

"Yes,  I  will  go  with  you;  but  really  I  am 
afraid." 


8WEDENBORGJ8  LIFE.  59 

%'  This  is  Horn  Street.  He  lives  at  No.  44  on 
this  street/'  said  Emanuel,  as  they  turned  to  the 
right. 

They  passed  a  number  of  small  stone  and 
wooden  houses  and  a  large  church  with  a  ceme- 
tery, surrounded  by  a  high  stone  wall. 

On  one  acre  of  garden  stood  a  one-story  gambrel- 
roof  house,  facing  the  garden,  round  which  was  a 
high  fence,  separating  the  garden  from  the  street. 
The  Baron  and  his  sister  entered  the  gate  and 
walked  up  the  path  that  led  to  the  house.  The 
ground  was  covered  with  soft  snow,  which  had 
fallen  during  the  night.  A  red-painted  stable 
and  a  yellow  greenhouse  stood  at  the  eastern  end 
of  the  inclosure.  The  paths  were  bordered  with 
low  hedges. 

In  the  middle  of  the  garden  were  two  crossings 
at  right  angles. 

At  one  of  those  was  a  rustic  summer-house 
with  doors  opening  in  four  directions.  Opposite 
this,  stood  another  summer-house,  next  to  the 
fence.  A  third  summer-house  led  to  Sweden- 
borg's  library. 

"  I  have  been  told,"  whispered  Emanuel,  as 
they  passed  the  summer-house  in  the  middle  of 
the  garden,  "  that  it  is  mostly  in  this  place  that 


60  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

Swedenborg  receives  his  messages  from  the  spirit 
world." 

Emanuel  noted  carefully  all  the  details  of  the 
place.  He  lifted  the  knocker  of  the  house,  and 
the  door  was  opened  by  a  pale  little  old  woman, 
neatly  dressed  in  a  long-waisted  black  sacque,  a 
white  apron  and  a  cap  tied  under  her  chin. 

"  Baron  Ruckerskold  and  sister  wish  to  see 
Assessor  Swedenborg,"  said  Emanuel. 

"  Be  so  kind  as  to  come  in,"  she  said,  courte- 
sying.  "  The  Assessor  expects  you.  He  told  me 
to  have  lunch  ready  for  you." 

The  sister  and  brother  exchanged  an  astonished 
look,  as  they  had  never  seen  the  Assessor,  nor 
written  to  him  of  their  visit. 

"Will  you  come  in  this  way,"  said  the  little 
woman.  "  This  is  our  part  of  the  house.  Let 
me  take  your  wrap,  lady.  You  see,  my  husband 
is  the  Assessor's  gardener,  and  I  am  the  house- 
keeper," chatted  the  little  woman,  evidently  glad 
to  have  some  one  to  talk  to.  "  He  does  not  give 
me  much  trouble;  poor  Assessor  is  growing  old 
now.  He  eats  so  little  it  worries  me.  He  makes 
many  a  dinner  on  nothing  but  bread  and  milk." 

The  Baron  and  his  sister  were  now  ushered  into 
Mr.  Swedenborg's  rooms.  They  entered  a  large, 


8WEDENBORGPS  LIFE.  61 

low,  square-cornered  room  with  four  south  and 
west  windows.  It  had  white  painted  furniture 
and  a  mirror  in  a  gilt  frame.  The  sofa  and 
chairs  were  covered  with  red  and  white  homespun 
striped  linen  goods.  A  few  simple  rugs  were 
placed  on  the  clean  pine  floor. 

The  house-keeper  knocked  on  the  next  door, 
which  was  closed,  but  received  no  answer. 

"  He  must  be  having  a  vision  again,  or  he 
would  have  heard  you  coming,"  she  said. 

She  opened  the  door,  and  Emerentia  almost 
stumbled  into  the  room,  as  she  was  not  prepared 
to  step  over  the  high  old-fashioned  threshold. 
Swedenborg  was  sitting  by  a  table  facing  them 
as  they  entered.  He  had  an  animated  expres- 
sion, as  if  speaking  to  some  dear  friend.  His 
visitors  were  awed  by  the  spiritual,  luminous  look 
in  his  large  soft  brown  eyes.  His  soul  seemed  to 
be  utterly  oblivious  to  his  surroundings,  and  now 
and  then  a  smile  rippled  over  his  expressive 
mouth.  He  was  startled  by  the  entrance  of  his 
visitors,  but  he  soon  recovered  himself. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you,  Baron  Emanuel," 
he  said,  heartily.  "  Emanuel  is  my  name,  too. 
And  you  are  Emerentia — a  living  image  of 
her — only  a  little  shorter.  Your  mother  is  here." 


62  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

He  turned  to  a  third  but  invisible  party.  "  She 
has  often  been  here  since  she  died.  I  can  speak 
to  her  whenever  I  wish  now,'7  he  said  joyfully. 
Emerentia  looked  at  her  brother. 

"  If  our  mother  is  here,  may  we  be  allowed  to 
send  her  our  love?"  asked  Emanuel. 

"  Certainly,"  said  Swedenborg.  "  She  is  present 
with  us  now." 

The  brother  and  sister  felt  a  sensation  of  awe. 

"  It  was  long  before  I  saw  her.  You  know,  I 
have  known  and  loved  her  since  she  was  twelve 
years  old.  And  this  gift  from  the  Lord  of  reveal- 
ing the  truth  to  the  world,  did  not  come  to  me 
until  I  was  fifty-four  years  old.  I  am  seventy- 
two  now,"  he  added,  with  a  sigh.  His  thoughts 
seemed  to  wander.  "  I  shall  not  be  permitted  to 
go  until  twelve  years  from  now,  I  have  so  much 
to  tell  the  world  yet." 

He  was  silent  a  moment.  "  Matches  are  made 
in  heaven,"  he  continued.  "The  conjugial  love 
is  the  most  noble  love  of  all,  when  it  is  pure,  and 
exists  between  two  people  of  the  same  affinity. 
But  that  you  seldom  find  in  this  world,  and  I 
warn  you,  think  twice,  before  you  marry.  If  you 
do  not  marry  your  conjugial  partner,  you  will 
find  bitter  sorrow  instead  of  happiness.  Sorrow 


8WEDENBOR&8  LIFE.  63 

is  a  fire — it  purifies.  '  All  works  together  for  the 
good  of  those  who  love  the  Lord.'  Your  mother 
was — let  me  see, —  how  old,  when  she  died?" 

"  She  was  fifty-seven,"  said  the  young  girl. 

u  And  she  had  nine  children.  She  named  you 
Emerentia,"  he  said. 

"  Father  named  me  so,"  she  corrected,  timidly. 

"  You  are  named  after  me,  Baron.  Your 
mother  tells  me  so,"  said  Swedenborg,  ignoring 
Emerentia's  remark.  "  She  says,  that  she  loved 
me,  but  did  not  know  it,  until  she  married  your 
father.  She  says  that  his  harsh  nature  made  her 
realize  what  a  foolish  thing  she  did,  when  she 
chose  another  instead  of  me.  Forgive  me  for 
speaking  so  freely." 

"  Will  you  ask  my  mother,  from  me,  if  she  is 
allowed  to  be  with  us  whenever  she  likes,"  said 
Emanuel. 

"Yes,  she  says,  she  comes  every  evening,  about 
seven  o'clock,  when  you  all  are  assembled." 

u  Does  she  live  in  any  special  place?"  asked 
Emerentia. 

"  Yes,  she  lives  on  a  place  corresponding  to 
your  home  outside  of  Stockholm.  Every  large 
city  in  the  world  has  a  corresponding  spiritual 
city.  She  stays  with  her  departed  children, 
whom  she  educates." 


<>4  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  Does  mother  take  any  interest  in  our  lives 
now?"  asked  Emerentia. 

"  Oh,  yes;  she  sees  and  knows  all  your  actions 
and  motives,  and  it  is  a  part  of  her  work  to  aid 
you  in  all  your  plans,  that  the  Lord  approves. 
She  asks  me  to  tell  Emerentia  to  reject  the  offer 
of  the  young  man  she  met  at  church.  He  has 
written  to  your  father  for  your  hand.  He  is  very 
handsome  and  fascinating,  but  he  is  not  true  and 
sincere.  A  better  match  is  in  store  for  you,  when 
you  are  twenty-four." 

Emerentia  blushed.  These  facts  were  known 
only  to  herself,  and  she  felt  convinced,  that  this 
man  was  endowed  with  a  power  beyond  her  un- 
derstanding. 

She  glanced  round  the  room  with  a  frightened 
and  curious  look.  In  one  corner  was  a  single  bed 
with  bed-curtains,  white  as  snow.  The  wooden 
chairs  were  old  and  worn,  and  the  only  comfort- 
able chair  was  the  one  Swedenborg  occupied, 
which  was  covered  with  leather.  The  windows 
were  filled  with  rare  flowers  in  flower-pots.  The 
fire  burned  low  in  the  tile  oven. 

The  Assessor  followed  Emerentia's  eyes,  in  fact 
he  watched  her  closely  every  minute. 

"  I  keep  a  fire  in  the  stove  night  and  day,"  he 


8WEDENBOR&S  LIFE.  65 

said,  "  so  that  I  can  make  myself  a  cup  of  coffee, 
whenever  I  want  it,  without  disturbing  my  house- 
keeper. Sometimes  I  stay  up  all  night,  especially 
when  I  have  interesting  spirits  to  converse  with." 

"  Did  you  never  marry,  Assessor?"  asked 
Emanuel. 

"  No,  I  was  always  faithful  to  her,"  said  Swed- 
enborg,  with  a  tender  accent  on  the  word  "her." 
"  I  have  some  bulbs  here,"  he  said, rising.  "They 
are  some  very  rare  hyacinths,  that  a  friend  sent 
me  from  Holland.  Would  you  like  one,  Emer- 
entia?" 

She  took  the  pot,  thanking  him. 

"  Ah,  there  is  Mrs.  Peterson  with  our  lunch 
now,"  he  said,  as  the  house-keeper  entered  with  a 
tray.  She  spread  the  table  and  in  a  few  minutes 
fresh  biscuits  and  butter,  strong  old  cheese,  cold 
meats  and  omelettes,  some  delicious  coffee  and 
cream,  and  hot  cakes  were  served. 

Swedenborg  placed  an  extra  chair  opposite  his 
own  place  at  the  table. 

u  That  is  for  your  mother,"  he  said,  smiling 
kindly. 

Emerentia  turned  pale.  She  looked  at  her 
brother,  who  evidently  seemed  to  enjoy  this  new 
experience. 


66  THE  ROMANCE  OF 

"  Assessor,"  he  said,  as  they  were  seated  at  the 
table,  "  would  you  not  do  us  the  honor  to  come 
and  visit  us?  I  know  my  father  would  be  so  de- 
lighted to  meet  you.  He  is  fond  of  a  game  of 
cards." 

"Thank  you,"  said  Swedenborg.  "I  like  a 
game  now  and  then;  but  I  am  too  old  now  to  go 
so  far." 

"  Yes,  do  come,"  said  Emerentia.  "  Come  and 
stay  a  whole  week,  or  longer." 

He  looked  at  her,  smiling, 

"  I  think  I  would  like  to  see  the  children  and 
the  home  where  your  mother  spent  her  life,  so  you 
may  tell  your  father  that  I  shall  be  pleased  to 
accept  your  hospitality." 

"  We  will  take  such  good  care  of  you,"  said 
Emerentia,  heartily. 

As  she  said  these  words,  a  feeling  of  serene 
happiness  was  reflected  on  his  face,  and  when 
the  brother  and  sister  rose  to  go,  Swedenborg  said, 
with  a  moved  voice: 

"  The  Lord  has  been  gracious  to  me,  that  my 
eyes  have  seen  you,  my  son  Emanuel,  and  you, 
myjiaughter  Emerentia." 

He  laid  his  hands  on  their  bended  heads,  pro- 
nouncing a  silent  prayer  and  blessing  over  the 


SWEDENBOR&S  LIFE.  67 

young  people.     When  they  had  departed,  he  sank 
into  his  worn  leather-covered  chair. 

"  Oh  Lord,  why  dost  Thou  send  pain  and  suffer- 
ing and  partings?  Is  it  in  order  to  grant  us  so 
much  greater  joy  in  the  next  world?" 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OP  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  5O  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


DEC  £8   1933 


[VERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


